JP2001126015A - Card which can execute display/recording and card reader/writer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the number of writing times on display data recorded on a card surface whenever a card is reproduced and to improve the reproduction efficiency of the card. SOLUTION: The surface of an IC card 2 is divided into plural recording areas and a card reader 1 deletes a recording area corresponding to printing position information on the area 23b of the memory 23 of the card by a deletion head 15. The recording head 15 records display data and the number of rewriting times on the area 23c of the memory 23 is increased by one. When the number of rewriting times reaches the prescribed number of times, position information on the unrecorded recording area is stored in the area 23b and the number of rewriting times in the area 23c is set to be '1'. A data recording processing on the recording area corresponding to information on the area 23b is executed until the number of rewriting times of the area 23c reaches the prescribed number of times.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a card on which display data and the like can be recorded on a front surface thereof, and a card reader / writer device for recording display data on the front surface of the card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when a card such as an IC card is issued, information such as value information is written inside the card and a card is provided so that a user can identify what kind of card the card is. Display data is recorded on the surface. The user purchases a desired card by recognizing the display on the surface of the issued card, and performs shopping or the like using the purchased card. A used card that has been used by a user for shopping or the like and has no remaining balance therein is collected and reproduced as a new card. here,
When playing back a used card as a new card, write new value information etc. inside the card, erase the previous display on the card surface, and re-record new display data on the card surface. To play.

[0003]

When an IC card or the like is reproduced, about 10 data are stored in a memory inside the card.
Can be rewritten many times. However, if the display data is rewritten about 500 times on the card surface,
The IC card cannot be rewritten and must be discarded. For this reason, there is a demand for further improving the reproduction efficiency of the card by further increasing the number of times of rewriting the display data on the card surface.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to increase the number of times data is rewritten on the card surface and improve the card reproduction efficiency.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a card capable of recording display data on the front surface, and selectively records the display data on the front surface of the card every time the card is reproduced. This is characterized by being divided into a plurality of recording areas. In this case, the card has a first storage area for selectively storing position information of a plurality of recording areas where display data is recorded, and a second storage area for selectively storing the number of recordings of the plurality of recording areas. And Further, the card has a third storage area for storing a recording pattern of the display data. According to the present invention, in a card reader / writer device having a head and recording display data on the surface of a card by the head, the head is controlled every time the card is reproduced, and the head is controlled to any one of a plurality of recording areas. A recording control means for recording the display data and recording the display data in one of the plurality of recording areas where the display data has not been recorded when the number of recordings in the recording area reaches a predetermined number. is there. In this case, the recording control means records the display data in a recording area corresponding to the position information of the first storage area of the card and updates the number of recordings in the second storage area, while the updated number of recordings is equal to a predetermined number. When the number of times reaches the number, the position information of the recording area where the display data is not recorded is set in the first storage area, and the value of the second storage area is initialized to perform recording according to the position information of the first storage area. The display data is recorded in the area, and the number of recordings in the second storage area is updated. The recording control means records the display data according to the recording pattern of the third storage area of the card. Further, the recording control means includes:
Prior to recording the display data in the recording area, the erasing head is controlled to erase the display data in the recording area.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a card reader / writer device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the present card reader / writer is an IC card 2 capable of displaying and recording.
An IC card reader / writer (hereinafter referred to as a card reader) 1 for reading / writing data from / to a CPU 11
, A communication interface 12 that is an interface with the host device, and an I that is an interface with the IC card 2.
It comprises a C card interface 13, a memory 14, an erasing head 15, and a recording head 16.

[0007] Here, when the CPU 11 receives data from the host device via the communication interface 12, the CPU 11 receives the received data via the IC card interface 13.
The data is transmitted to the C card 2 and stored in the memory of the IC card 2. Further, the IC card interface 13
When data from the card 2 is received, this data is transmitted to the host device via the communication interface 12.

[0008] The card reader 1 stores data such as amount data designated by a higher-level device when the IC card 2 is issued.
In addition to writing to the memory of the card 2, display data specified by the host device is recorded on the surface of the IC card 2 by the recording head 16. I thus issued
The C card 2 is purchased by a user and used for shopping or the like. When the IC card 2 is used for shopping by the user and the amount data of the memory is exhausted, the IC card 2 is collected as a used card and reproduced as a new card. In this case, the card reader 1 rewrites data such as money amount data instructed from the host device into the memory of the IC card 2 and
Head 1 for erasing previous display data on the surface of IC card 2
After erasing by step 5, new display data instructed by the host device is recorded by the recording head 16.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the IC card 2 on which money amount information and the like are written by the card reader 1. 2, the IC card 2 includes a card reader interface 21, which is an interface with the card reader 1, a control circuit 22, and a memory 23. When the control circuit 22 of the IC card 2 receives the data from the card reader 1 via the card reader interface 21, if the data is data to be written to the memory 23, the data is stored in the memory 23, while the received data is Is data indicating transmission to the card reader 1 side, the data in the memory 23 is read and transmitted to the card reader 1 side via the card reader interface 21. When the IC card 2 is a newly issued card, display data is recorded on the surface of the IC card 2 by the recording head 16 of the card reader 1 as described above.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the configuration of the front surface of the IC card 2 capable of displaying and recording. The display data is recorded on the surface of the IC card 2 when the card is newly issued or when the used card is reproduced as described above. As shown in FIG. 3A, the recording area of the display data on the surface of the IC card 2 includes a plurality of areas 2A, 2B,
The card reader 1 shown in FIG. 1 records display data in the area 2A, for example, a predetermined number of times (for example, 500 times), and then displays the display data in the next area 2B the same number of times as the area 2A. Record minutes.

FIG. 3B shows the memory 23 of the IC card 2.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a storage state of card information in the inside. The memory 23 of the IC card 2 has an area 23e for storing the identification code ID of the IC card 2 and the above-described amount data as a storage area for the card information.
3a, print position information area 23b, rewrite frequency information area 23
c and a print pattern information area 23d are provided.

Here, the rewriting number counter 23a counts the total number of rewriting of display data on the surface of the IC card 2. In the print position information area 23b, position information of any one of the recording areas in FIG. 3A is stored as print position information (recording position information). The rewrite frequency information area 23c stores the number of rewrites including the number of times of erasing and recording the display data in the recording area specified by the position information of the print position information area 23b. In the print pattern information area 23d, a print pattern in the recording area specified by the position information of the print position information area 23b includes print pattern information such as a print pattern of every other line or a print pattern of every other line. Is stored.

When recording the display data in each recording area on the surface of the IC card 2, the card reader 1
Is recorded based on the storage contents of the respective areas 23b to 23d. That is, by moving the recording head 16 to the recording area according to the printing position information of the printing position information area 23b and controlling the recording head 16 according to the printing pattern of the printing pattern information area 23d, the display data is stored in the corresponding recording area. Record. Thereafter, the number of rewrites in the rewrite number information area 23c is increased by one. When the number of rewrites reaches a predetermined value, the print position information of the print position information area 23b is set as position information of a new recording area, and the number of rewrites of the rewrite number information area 23c is set to “0”. Similarly, display data is recorded a predetermined number of times in a new recording area indicated by the print position information in the print position information area 23b.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the card reader 1. The operation of the main part of the present invention will be described according to this flowchart. Memory 23 of IC card 2
Initially, “0” is set in the rewriting number counter 23 a and the rewriting number information area 23 c shown in FIG. 3B, and the print position information area 23 b in the memory 23 is set in FIG.
The position information of the recording area 2A is stored, and a predetermined print pattern is stored in the print pattern information area 23d. When the IC card 2 is newly issued, the card reader 1 writes the ID and the amount data in the area 23e of the memory 23, and records the display data on the surface of the IC card 2 in the print pattern of the area 23d of the memory 23. , The number of rewrites of the rewrite number counter 23a and the rewrite number information area 23c is set to “1”.

When the IC card 2 is purchased by a user and used for shopping or the like, the amount data of the area 23e is reduced, and when the amount runs out, the IC card 2 is collected as a used card. The collected used IC card 2 is reproduced as described above. In this case, the CPU 11 of the card reader 1 stores the new ID and the amount indicated in the area 23e of the memory 23 of the IC card 2 by the host device. In addition to storing the data, the value of the rewriting number counter 23a of the memory 23 of the IC card 2 and the position information and rewriting information of the recording area are read from the respective areas 23b to 23d of the memory 23 in step S1 of FIG.

Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the number of rewrites of the read rewrite number counter 23a is equal to or more than a prescribed value, and determines in step S2 whether or not "the number of rewrites of all recording areas exceeds a prescribed value". Judge. At first, the value of the rewriting number counter 23a is "1", so the determination in step S2 is "N", and the area 23 is determined in step S3.
The erasing head 15 moves to the recording area corresponding to the printing position information of b.
To erase the display data of the recording area (area 2A). Subsequently, in step S4, it is determined whether or not the number of times of rewriting of the area 23c has reached a predetermined value. If the number of times of rewriting has not reached the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S5, where the recording area (area 2A) Recording head 1
Then, new display data instructed by the host device is recorded in the recording area according to the print pattern in the area 23d of the memory 23.

Thereafter, the number of times of rewriting of the area 23c of the memory 23 is incremented by one in step S6, and the number of times of rewriting counter 23a is incremented by one in step S7. in this way,
The ID and the amount data are written in the area 23e of the memory 23 of the IC card 2, and the display data is re-recorded in the recording area 2A on the front surface of the IC card 2 to reproduce the IC card 2. Then, when the reproduced IC card 2 is purchased by the user and used for shopping or the like and the amount data is lost, the IC card 2 is collected as a used card, and the area 23e of the memory 23 is stored in the same manner as described above.
And the display data are re-recorded and reproduced in the recording area 2A on the front surface.

Here, when the number of times of rewriting the display data to the recording area 2A on the card surface reaches a predetermined number during the reproduction of the IC card 2, the IC card is processed in step S3 and "N" in step S2, and in step S3. After erasing the display data of the recording area 2A on the front surface of No. 2, the "rewriting completed for a predetermined number of times" in step S4 becomes "Y". In this case, CP
U11 updates the position information of the print position information area 23b of the memory 23 to the position of the recording area 2B on the card surface in step S8.

Then, the updated new recording area 2B
Then, the erasing head 15 is moved to and the display data of the recording area 2B is erased in step S9. Subsequently, step S1
At 0, the recording head 16 is moved to a recording area (area 2B) corresponding to the printing position information of the area 23b of the memory 23, and display data is recorded in the recording area according to the print pattern of the area 23d of the memory 23. Thereafter, "1" is set in the rewrite frequency area 23c of the memory 23 in step S11, and the rewrite frequency counter 23a is incremented by 1 in step S7, and the processing is terminated.

When the display data is newly recorded in the recording area 2B on the front surface of the card and the reproduced IC card 2 is purchased by the user and used for shopping or the like and the amount data is lost, the IC card 2 is similarly used. As well as being collected as a completed card, the ID and the amount data are written in the area 23e of the memory 23 as described above. Then, the process in step S1, "N" in step S2, "execution of erasing of predetermined area (area 2B)" in step S3,
After "N" in step S4, new display data is re-recorded in the recording area 2B on the front surface of the card in step S5, and the number of rewrites in the area 23c of the memory 23 is incremented by one in step S6, and then the number of rewrites in step S7 Counter 23a
And ends.

When the number of times the display data is rewritten to the recording area 2B on the card surface reaches a predetermined number during reproduction of the IC card 2, the process proceeds to step S1 and "N" in step S2, and then in step S3, the IC card 2 is rewritten. After erasing the display data of the recording area 2A on the front surface, “predetermined rewrite completion” in step S4 becomes “Y”. In this case, CP
U11 reads the position information of the print position information area 23b of the memory 23 in the next recording area 2C on the card surface in step S8.
Update to position. Then, the erasure of the display data and the recording of the new display data relating to the recording area 2C are sequentially executed in steps S9 and S10. Thereafter, when the number of times of rewriting of the recording area 2C reaches a predetermined number, the next recording area 2D
Is selected, and the display data is rewritten. When the number of times of rewriting the display data in all the recording areas reaches the predetermined number finally, the value of the rewriting number counter 23a of the memory 23 exceeds the specified value, and the value of step S2 is changed. When “overwrite count of all areas” is “Y”, the CPU 11
It is determined that display data cannot be recorded on the surface of the C card 2 and a message "display data cannot be recorded" is displayed on a display unit (not shown), and the process is terminated. As a result, the IC card 2 is discarded without being reproduced.

As described above, the surface of the IC card 2 is divided into a plurality of recording areas, and the display data is recorded in each recording area a predetermined number of times (for example, 500 times). Therefore, the number of times display data can be rewritten to the IC card 2 can be increased, and therefore, the reproduction efficiency of the IC card 2 is improved. In the present embodiment, an example of recording display data on the surface of the IC card 2 has been described, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a magnetic card.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a card on which display data can be recorded on the front surface, a plurality of recording areas in which the display data are selectively recorded every time the card is reproduced are formed. , The number of times of rewriting the display data on the surface of the card can be increased, and the reproduction efficiency when reproducing the card is improved. A first storage area for selectively storing position information of a plurality of recording areas in which display data is recorded on the card; and a second storage area for selectively storing the number of recordings of the plurality of recording areas. Is provided, the number of times the display data is rewritten to each recording area on the card surface can be equalized. Also, the card is provided with the third storage area for storing the recording pattern of the display data,
Display data on the card surface can be recorded in various patterns. Also, in a card reader / writer device having a head and recording display data on the surface of the card by the head, the head is controlled every time the card is reproduced, and the display data is recorded in any one of a plurality of recording areas. At the same time, when the number of times of recording in this recording area reaches a predetermined number, one of the plurality of recording areas in which the display data is unrecorded is displayed.
Since the recording control means for recording the display data a predetermined number of times in one recording area is provided, the number of times of rewriting the display data on the surface of the card can be increased, and the number of times of rewriting the display data for each recording area on the surface of the card can be leveled. . Further, the recording control means records the display data in a recording area corresponding to the position information of the first storage area of the card, and
While the number of recordings in the storage area is updated, when the updated number of recordings reaches the predetermined number, the position information of the recording area where no display data is recorded is set in the first storage area, and Initializing the value, recording the display data in the recording area corresponding to the position information of the first storage area,
Is updated, the number of times of rewriting display data for each recording area on the card surface can be equalized. Further, the recording control means records the display data in accordance with the recording pattern of the third storage area of the card. Therefore, if a different pattern is stored in the third storage area every time the card is reproduced, the recording control means can record the display data on the surface of the card. And display data of various patterns.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a card reader / writer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display-recordable card according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the surface of the card (FIG. 3)
FIG. 3A shows a memory configuration of a card in which control information for recording data on the card surface is stored (FIG. 3).
(B)).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a main part of the card reader / writer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... IC card reader / writer, 2 ... IC card (card which can be displayed / recorded), 2A-2C ... recording area, 11 ... C
PU, 12: communication interface, 13: IC card interface, 14, 23: memory, 15: erase head, 16: recording head, 21: card reader interface, 22: control circuit, 23a: rewrite counter, 2
3b: print position information, 23c: rewrite count information area, 23
d: print pattern information area, 23e: ID and amount data area.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06K 19/08 G06K 19/00 F

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A card on which display data can be recorded on a front surface, wherein the display surface has a plurality of recording areas on which the display data is selectively recorded every time the card is reproduced. Recordable card. 2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein a first storage area for selectively storing position information of a plurality of recording areas in which the display data is recorded, and a first storage area for selectively storing the number of recordings of the plurality of recording areas. 2. A display-recordable card having two storage areas. 3. The display-recordable card according to claim 2, further comprising a third storage area for storing a recording pattern of the display data. 4. A card reader / writer device comprising a head and recording display data on a surface of a card by the head, wherein the surface of the card is provided with a plurality of display data on which recording is selectively recorded every time the card is reproduced. The display area is divided into recording areas, and the display data is recorded in any one of a plurality of recording areas by controlling the head each time the card is reproduced, and the number of recordings in this recording area reaches a predetermined number. Then, a card reader / writer device having a recording control means for recording display data in one recording area where display data is not recorded among a plurality of recording areas. 5. The card according to claim 4, wherein the card has a first storage area for selectively storing position information of a plurality of recording areas in which display data is recorded, and a recording count for the plurality of recording areas. A storage area for storing the display data in a recording area corresponding to the position information of the first storage area of the card, and recording the second storage area in the second storage area. While the number of times is updated, when the updated number of times of recording reaches a predetermined number, the position information of the recording area where no display data is recorded is set in the first storage area, and the value of the second storage area is initialized. A card reader / writer device which records display data in a recording area corresponding to position information of a first storage area and updates the number of recordings in a second storage area. 6. The card according to claim 5, wherein the card has a third storage area for storing a recording pattern of the display data, and wherein the recording control means controls the display data in accordance with the recording pattern of the third storage area. A card reader / writer device characterized by recording the following. 7. The recording device according to claim 4, further comprising an erasing head for erasing display data recorded in a recording area, wherein the recording control means controls the erasing head before recording the display data in the recording area. A card reader / writer device for erasing display data in a recording area.